Βέροια | Πανηγυρικός Αρχιερατικός Εσπερινός | 28.6.2024 - Panegyric Archieratical Vespers of Sts.Peter and Paul,Ancient Metropolitan Church,Veria

Presided by His Eminence Metropolitan Arsenios (guest hierarch) Ruling hierarch:His Eminence Metropolitan Panteleimon of Veria - first hierarch on the left Attended by His Eminence Metropolitan Kyriakos of Nazareth (Jerusalem Patriarchate),fourth hierarch on the right,and a Jerusalem Patriarchate deacon Veria is in Makedonia,Greece,one of the New Lands of Greece which belong to the Ecumenical Patriarchate but,for practical reasons,are administered by the Church of Greece.Still,there is a spiritual tie to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Ukrainian Orthodox Church Reunited to Constantinople,Restored to Communion - but the process continues

His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France,flanked by the Ecumenical Patriarchate's two exarchs to Ukraine,Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon and Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton,read a press release today in the Phanar,the Patriarchate of Constantinople's compound in Istanbul,Turkey.It said that,by decree of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,the Patriarchate,the Mother Church,has been reunited with the two schismatic Ukrainian Orthodox groups.Their hierarchy and faithful have been restored to canonical status and readmitted to communion with the Orthodox Church.*
In addition,the Patriarchate has re-established its metochion,or representative church,in the Ukrainian capital Kiev,which had customarily existed there and in other major Ukrainian cities;while the agreement that,by the exercising of ekonomia,had allowed the Patriarchate of Moscow to ordain the Metropolitan of Kiev,has been canceled.
All concerned were admonished to behave in a peaceful,non-confrontational manner.
The decision to grant autocephaly,or independence,was reaffirmed;yet,as His Eminence Metropolitan Arsenios of Hungary noted,the actual granting of a Tomos of Autocephaly has been postponed until the appropriate time.*
Analysis:The aspiring Church must now hold an assembly and elect a primate,someone who can receive such an important document as a Tomos of Autocephaly.

New Metropolitan,Auxiliary Bishop Named in Constantinople - updated

The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople elected His Grace Bishop Theodoritos of Nazianzos as Metropolitan of Laodicea,Turkey on 29 August 2018.At the same time,it also elected the Very Rev. Archimandrite Paisios Larentzakis as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Holy Metropolis of Austria with the title Apameia.He will serve under the leadership of His Eminence Metropolitan Arsenios of Austria.*
Born in 1948,Bishop Theodoritos (Polyzogopoulos) is a native of Athens.He received B.A. degrees in Theology (1972) and Philosophy (1976) from the University of Athens and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Manchester (1979).*
On 9 September 1972,His Grace was ordained to the diaconate in Athens;on 17 September of that year,to the holy priesthood in London;and,on 18 March 2000,he was consecrated to the episcopacy at the Church of St.George in Constantinople.
Bishop Theodoritos served mainly in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain (Ecumenical Patriarchate) at Cambridge;Manchester;St.Nicholas Shepherd's Bush,London;and also at St.Paraskevi,Athens.
In addition,His Grace taught Ancient Greek Philosophy;Theology;and Christian Ethics at Athens College,a  coed private preparatory school in the Athens suburb of Psychiko,Greece. *
Archimandrite Paisios has been serving as Protosynkellos (Chancellor) of the Metropolis of Austria.As Bishop of Apameia,he will be assigned to Budapest,Hungary.Hungary is donating real estate to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and being generally cordial to the Orthodox Church.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Visits Hungary - generous gift received

On 18 August 2017,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople began an official visit to the Exarchate of Hungary at the invitation of the Hungarian Government.One of the highlights of this four-day sojourn was the Government's presentation of a ceremonial key to a building complex in central Budapest to Patriarch Bartholomew.Hungary is donating the complex for the needs of the Exarchate of Hungary,which is part of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Holy Metropolis of Austria.*
In 2014,an Agreement of Cooperation between the Government and the Ecumenical Patriarchate was signed.The preamble to the Agreement says that:
Saints Cyril and Methodios brought Eastern Christianity to these lands,which continues to be present as a living religious community.Even before the foundation of the state,the ancient Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople already had relations with Hungarians and sent St.Ierotheos the Bishop to spread Christianity.*
Within the framework of this Agreement,in December 2016 the two parties signed a Memorandum of Cooperation stipulating the transfer of said building complex to the Exarchate of Hungary.The complex will house the Exarchate Offices;Patriarchal Academy;Greek School;Museum of Ecclesiastical Arts;and a Guest House.The Ecumenical Patriarchate and Holy Metropolis of Austria further say they want the complex to be a place to advance dialogue and a cultural centre for all people.*
His Eminence Arsenios is Metropolitan of Austria and Exarch of Hungary and Central Europe.A native of Heraklion,Crete,he was educated in,among other institutions,the Theological School of the University of Athens and completed his doctorate at Strasbourg University.Tonsured a monk at the St.George Holy Monastery in Crete,he was made an archimandrite and served as chancellor of the Holy Metropolis of France until his election as bishop upon the death of his predecessor, Metropolitan Michael of Austria.On 30 November 2011,St.Andrew's Day,he was consecrated to the episcopacy in Constantinople and,on 4 December of that year,enthroned as Metropolitan of Austria in Vienna.